To think DD should be in school?

[BlowDryRat]

Covid-related, sorry.

DD had CV-19 in October - caught from school, PCR test, gave it to me, the whole palaver. She's now come down with a cough, which she gets every year, so school have sent her home as a suspected covid case. They're following government guidance, which says that she has to either have a negative PCR test or see a GP face-to-face and get it confirmed as not covid, or isolate for 10 days before she's allowed back. Options:

a) She can't have a PCR test because she had covid within the last 90 days so it's likely to show a false positive.
b) She's had a virtual appointment with the GP, who said it's likely to be an upper respiratory tract infection rather than covid, although of course he can't tell without lab testing. This would have been good enough for the school to let her back if it had been face-to-face, but because it was a virtual appointment, it's doesn't count.

So we're stuck with her isolating for 10 days. She's otherwise completely healthy.

AIBU to think this is mad and she should be in school?

School are being deeply unhelpful but I would try to get a pcr test anyway- although possible it might show positive it is unlikely (assuming she is negative of course)

School are not being deeply unhelpful they are following guidance to try to stop the spread of covid. A cough is bound to trigger that. It isn’t their fault she can’t get a test. What do yo7 want them to do,@BlowDryRat and @Frazzled2207? Just let a potential case infect everyone and potentially deprive everyone of teachers who catch it or (worst case) cause an outbreak and close the whole school?

I'm not annoyed with the school. They're just following the ridiculous guidelines they've received from the government.

She did a PCR test earlier today so fingers crossed.

I want the guidelines not to contradict eachother (needs a PCR test vs. shouldn't have one) and for a healthy child not to have 10 days off school because she's got a cough.

And for the guidelines not to do something as idiotic as refer a suspected covid case to the GP, as if they can tell just by looking at someone! What a waste of everyone's time.

I would book the PCR. We all had covid in September. A few days after DD started reception. She had a cough on Friday so we kept her off and was advised by the school to get a PCR. The government website suggests that even though you've had a positive PCR previously, if you are displaying one or more of the common symptoms you can still book the test. My DD's test came back negative, so it's not necessary that your DD' results will come back with a false positive.

FYI from the gov website.

Ta. Good news that your DD tested negative. Hoping for the same result!

Just do the PCR.

My son has covid, he had two days of headaches.
Now he's fine and bouncing off the walls, still in isolation until next week.

I just did an LFT on him which was negative, I think he would have a negative PCR if I were to test him as well.
He had a very mild case of covid.

So just test her.

I’m not really getting the issue, the guidelines state you should get her retested with a PCR even within the 90days.

Just get them tested? If it negative then they can go back?

She can have a PCR - I spoke to track and trace about this as I was a close contact recently. I had Covid at the start of October and they said that I could do a PCR but only if I was symptomatic, no need for a CC.

I feel your frustration but it is possible she could have covid again. Fingers crossed for a negative PCR. If not can school provide a video link for lessons?

The guidance is to get a PCR test if you get new symptoms within the 90 days so the school are correct.

@OutdoorHousePlant

I feel your frustration but it is possible she could have covid again. Fingers crossed for a negative PCR. If not can school provide a video link for lessons?

Good one!

I had the exact same situation with my son this week - COVID in October (no symptoms at all - picked up with routine testing at school); new symptoms (bad cough) this week.

I booked a new PCR and when you book, one of the questions asks if they've had COVID in the last 28 days/three months/six months so I think they cross check so can tell if it's a new infection. His result came back negative this time.

@likeafishneedsabike
I'm a teacher. We stream/dial kids into lessons if they're off for Covid-related lessons.

She should be in school. Have you still got email or text with positive result, so you can show the school and tell them she can't text as within the 90 days. Failing that, Idk op sorry! I have a friend who's son had covid but totally asymptomatic, isolated for 10 days then a month later for a bad cough. Thankfully the school were understanding.

We've all had PCR tests within the 90 day period. They were negative. Get her to take a test

I believe the pcr guidance has changed this week in that you can now get a pcr within 90 days but before you couldn't. As I think it is thought you can catch the new variant after having delta whereas having delta twice in a short period would be vvv unlikely

Just wanted to say that schools are not being “deeply unhelpful”. We have to follow the guidelines given.

@Christmas3143

She should be in school. Have you still got email or text with positive result, so you can show the school and tell them she can't text as within the 90 days. Failing that, Idk op sorry! I have a friend who's son had covid but totally asymptomatic, isolated for 10 days then a month later for a bad cough. Thankfully the school were understanding.

That won't work.

If you have new symptoms, such as OP's DD's new cough, then you retest immediately, regardless of when last test was. A pp helpfully linked a screenshot of the guidance earlier in the thread.

The school is asking the DD to do exactly what the guidelines say - new symptoms, new test.